Yep, Chicago took out the miracle-run, eighth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers by winning Game 6 in Philly, and unsurprisingly, Philly fans booed the Blackhawks’ cup-receiving ceremony. Look, it’s hard to condone some of the more boorish behavior of Philadelphia sports fans, and it’s tired pointing out that it’s usually a smaller (but extremely vocal) minority that is largely responsible for the majority of these transgressions. But let’s not overlook the a-hole fans everywhere else in the country (and there are PLENTY). Example? Well, during the NBA Finals series that just concluded last week between the Celtics and Lakers, there was some loud vitriol on both sides. Yes, these two franchises have a long, passionate rivalry with and hatred of each other, but chanting ‘Ugly Sister’ to Lamar Odom when he’s at the foul line (he’s married to Khloe Kardashian) is kind of wrong. As is Laker fans having applauded when Celtics center Kendrick Perkins suffered a series-ending injury in Game 6 in L.A. Indeed, assholes will be around everywhere in the world at any given time. We must share their air-space unfortunately, but it’s a fact of life. To quote Dark Helmet in Spaceballs – “Keep Firing, Assholes!” Actually, it would be better if they didn’t.
To sum up, these were hard-fought, emotional wins for both these franchises (Blackhawks and Lakers), even though Kobe was pretty dreadful in the clinching Game 7 (6-for-24 from the field while still ending up with over 20 points). It didn’t feel like he had a huge hand in the comeback (Celtics led by 13 at one point in the first half). He’s a phenomenal player, but the Kobe vs. Jordan comparisons still need to stop, as far as I’m concerned. It’s a topic that can be debated for a long time with plenty of valid points and counterpoints, but right now, Jordan is still King Shit when it comes to the greatest players of the past 20-25 years (or maybe ever). People within or under the 30-35 year age range usually just say he’s the best ever and that’s it, but I’m hesitant to do that, and you should be too if you have respect for the history of the game. Players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain and a handful of others were as legendary in their own time and in their own way. But what Jordan did in the 1990s WAS pretty incredible. This is how revisionist history usually works though. Whatever is most recent stands out as most vivid in our recollection.
Oh and apparently, there’s some other sort of competition going on now that only occurs once every four summers in which physically fit men from various nations around the globe run themselves roughshod on a huge grass field for 90-plus minutes and attempt to kick a spherical, black-and-white ball into a net guarded by a keeper and defensive players on an opposing team from another country.
From what I’m told, it’s kind of a big deal (much like Ron Burgundy when he was hitting on Veronica Corningstone for the first time).
Okay, all sarcasm aside, I appreciate that soccer is by far the most popular sport globally. Despite an ever-increasing awareness of it in the U.S., it doesn’t seem like it will ever overtake our most popular sports here in the states (i.e. football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR, golf, etc.). It’s hard not to respect the fact that as soon as you leave the U.S. borders, ‘football’ rules no matter where you go.
And I’m not surprised the U.S. can’t seem to make significant strides either (and neither should you be) when it comes to this sport. In what world would it make sense for us (‘us’ being the United States) to be successful in a sport that’s probably barely in our Top 10 in terms of popularity when most of the rest of the countries in the world treat it like a religion?
Sure, when it comes to sports, us half-assing it sometimes equals the best effort from another nation (see the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team’s Olympic Gold Medal run earlier this year for proof).
But not when it comes to this sport. There are just way too many passionate fans, skilled players and people from other countries that invest almost everything they have emotionally into this (particularly countries that have little else to celebrate). Frankly, the U.S. has no business competing with the best of the best. I’ll be shocked if they even advance out of their group. But with sports, you just never know.
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